Green Tea and Alzheimer’s Disease

The number of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease has drastically increased in recent times, and there appears to be no signs of it slowing down. Today 5.4 million Americans have the disease and nearly half of people over the age of 85 have Alzheimer’s disease. It is the sixth leading cause of death in the United States, and between 2000 and 2008 the number of deaths that were attributed to Alzheimer’s increased 66 percent. Upon being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s it is generally believed that the patient will live for four to eight years, but some people do live as long as twenty years. Most upsetting is the fact that much of this time will be spent in the worst stages of the disease. There are a number of ways to help reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, and one of the best natural ways to support healthy cognitive function and to fight Alzheimer’s disease is with a green tea supplement.

What is Alzheimers?

Alzheimer’s was first discovered approximately 100 years ago, but frequent research didn’t begin until the last quarter century. The definite Alzheimer’s disease causes are unknown, but it is believed to be a result of numerous factors. The initial changes within the brain may start as early as 20 years before the symptoms arise. Alzheimer’s is generally diagnosed when a loss of memory occurs, but the loss of memory also has to be followed by one or more of the following symptoms:

Decline of Speech or Writing Ability

Unable to Identify Objects

Loss of Motor Skills

Inability to Think in Abstractions

Alzheimer’s isn’t believed to have one definite cause. Instead there are numerous factors that contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. The brain contains over one trillion synapses, and as the Alzheimer’s sets in these synapses begin to breakdown and not function properly. This causes the neurons within the brain to die, and brain function begins to decline. Alzheimer’s disease also commonly occurs when proteins accumulate in the brain. These proteins become tangled and can cause metals to get caught. This accumulation is often times referred to as plaque, and it can lead to many of the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, like dementia.

Green Tea Supplement Helps

Green tea is a nutrient with an endless list of benefits. People use it to help with relaxation, weight loss, and cognitive function. Green tea may also help to reduce the occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease. Many people consume green tea through beverages or supplementation, and one of its ingredients, epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), is able to easily penetrate the blood brain barrier and support cognitive function. Green tea also works to block the proteins that can cause plaque to develop and lead to Alzheimer’s disease.

Studies show that green tea extract – commonly found in supplements, like Pure Encapsulations Green Tea Extract – may help to limit the amount of detrimental proteins that are able to gather within the brain. EGCG was shown to reduce the proteins ability to become tangled, and it also helped to fight the metals that could get caught within the proteins, like copper and iron.

Alzheimer’s disease is a devastating disease that is one the rise. In its later stages it almost always calls for around the clock care, so everybody should do what they can to help reduce their risk of Alzheimer’s. One way that you can help your brain every day is through the consumption of green tea. Studies have shown that green tea supplements may help to fight the accumulation of proteins that can lead to Alzheimer’s disease.